Memoirs of a skeleton - English Version
by MitsuneMarufuji
Summary: Everyone admires Brooke in one way or another, but nobody wants to admit it. Fem!Brook, Sanji/Brook if you squint, spoilers for Thriller Bark Arc and Brooks background story. Mention of character death (naturally) & genderbend


His blue eyes analysed the picture carefully, prudent as to not skip over a single detail. Each part of the colorcomposition, that was dominated by purple, black and gold. Each paintbrush stroke that left a barely visible imprint of even the tiniest individual hair on the surface of the canvas. One thing flowed seamlessy into the next in this painting, and he had a hard time believing that he knew this dark angel pictured, that swung her mighty blade courageous, not to get started about travelling the seas alongside her.

When the Strawhats entered the Florian Triangle for the very first time, they expected many things. Monsters, ghosts, even Seakings! But a living dead joining there crew had definitely not been on their list of expectations. Even less that she would miss skin, flesh and blood alike, and by the Lord, that she even frequented the seas before the Pirate King Gol. D. Roger and even commanded a whole crew with hundreds of subordinates as a vice- and later on main captain. Alone with her appearance and behaviour, nobody would've guessed her background story, since none of her words or tasteless jokes hinted at the pain and despair that laid behind the old lady.

Not only did she lost her partner and half of her crew to a mysterious disease, no. She got lost with the survivors in the Florian Triangle as well, where they got attacked by other pirates and where she had to - well knowing that she'd return due to her Yomi Yomi no mi - watch how her friends bit the dust one after another. But even then the dread had not ended. As her soul found a way through the fog, there was nothing more left of herself than a pile of bones. Not a all too bad looking one, he had to admit.

Since this damned day she was doomed to spend the next fifty years, during the first real age of pirates, alongside the corpses of her beloves ones in bleak grey on a ghost ship, always hoping to face the sunshine again on a beautiful day.

A shiver ran down Sanjis spine as he gave it another thought. Alone the imagination of seeing Nami, Robin, Luffy, or even the Marino rotting on the ship and to know that the only escape was suicide... He knew that he would never get close to the level of psychological strength the black-haired piratess possessed.

Alone the fact that she hadn't lost hope instantly and ended her life a second time was admirable in a way. But the stamina as well, to spend half a century alongside dead bodies. It was no surprise by any means that her character nowadays tried to spread jokes and mindless fun. She had to make up for such a long time that she spend in this dark and deep hole.

But this picture, that the small troop consisting of him, Zorro and Chopper looked at now, reflected the true face of the tall-grown female.

A fluffy blouse, a chest that easily exceeded the one of Nami in size and abundance and a corsett that laced up the waist of the woman nearly to her spine. It was obvious that Brooke didn't spend a second thought about how unhealthy this kind of clothing was and what consequences could follow while she was still alive.

And yet he could not deny that she looked attractive, as her bones where still covered with human tissue. Her face alone - he was sure of this - must've been enough to turn around some mans heads by the dozen. A somewhat long face, high cheekbones, a flat chin. Full dark lips and eyes in a bright violett - had she been blind? No, it wasn't possible to wield a sword with such precision without eyesight.

The dust in the air and the background noise created by the rain crackled against the roof created an atmosphere more likely to be found in a boring museum than in an old abandoned mansion. Chopper was the first one that broke the thought-absorbing silence, that everyone seemed to be caught in.

"She doesn't seem to be that tall in the picture..."

Sanji blinked a few times, and tried to recollect his mind. Not that tall? Now that it had been pointed out... With more than two and a half metres height without heels or her dark superb head of hair she had to leave a quite intimidating impression to everyone that wasn't close to her with her sharp blade. He probably would've needed a chair to even get close to her eye level.

"And that... Must be 'Yorki', the captain of the rumbar-pirates then."

Sanji stated and pointed at the smaller blonde, that stood slightly sideways next to Brooke, her fists up in the air like a boxer in the ring. It wasn't all too easy to tell, but she seemed to have some kind of tattoo on her face. Nevertheless nobody could disavow that the woman on the painting radiated a certain cuteness and warmth that was rather rare.

So this had been the two women that tried to conquer the ocean before the pirate king. The ones that gave Laboom a promise that shouldn't lose any importance or weight after their death.

"That her sword stayed intact for that long... Hm..."

The eyes of the other two wandered over to Zorro, that seemed to find more interest in the portrayal of Brookes' weapon, rather than in the two persons shown. In her hands she held no regular sword but a umbrella in whichs stock the weapon was embedded and well hidden. And indeed it resembled the one she carried nowadays into the battle to rip her enemies to pieces before they even realized their defeat in color and shape. The blade that she had covered in the coldness of the underworld and that united the hurt of countless restless souls.

"I see that you found something more interesting than a treasure chest? Yohohohoho~!" A smokey female voice warbled.

None of the three had noticed how the woman positioned herself with featherlight steps behind them and leaned forwards and, grinning widely - as far as this was possible - announced her question.

"Eeeeek!"

The small reindeer jumped in shock towards the ceiling, but was stopped midway by Zorros chin. Said one stumbled one, two steps backwards and held the hurt place, after he made a slightly gurgling sound of suffering after he landed rather uncomfortably on the floor.

"Oh my... It wasn't my intention to scare you. Even if I cannot close my eyes from the truth that I probably have a rather daunting aura... Even if I don't even have eyes anymore! Yohohohohoho~! Skull jok, yohohohohoho~!"

She placed one hand in her usual fashion on top of the place on the left of her chest where her heart used to beat in the past and continued to laugh unbothered. After she had calmed herself, she kneed down and picked up the crews doctor carefully with her thin arms, like a mother would lift up her child after it had tripped.

"Are you alright Chopper-san?" She asked with a nearly happy tone and ran five thin digets of her boney right hand over the side of the furred head of the animal-hybrid.

Chopper looked quite stunned at first at the skullface of the female that just had picked him up but then nodded hesitantly. It was a strange feeling to have the sheer bones so close to his body, only thin fabric between his still alive and her dead figure. The single ripbows, the sticklike arms and the mysteriously luke-warm hands of hers. How was it even possible for a skeleton to be this way? Of course this was no comparison with the soft skin of a creature with a still beating heart, but it was less creepy without a doubt than cold bones. This woman was truly a mystery.

"I'm great, thanks for asking." The green-haired young man spat in a sarcastic voice, seeing how his 'injuries' were completely ignored. Not that he wanted any pity. As a reply Brooke simply chuckled quietly and reached out with one hand to help him onto his feet again while the other kept pressing Chopper against herself.

Sanji whereas returned to eye the canvas on the wall. The resemblance was now, in direct comparison, conspicuous. Yet, the charisma hadn't changed in the timeframe between the making of this picture and now. Lurking like a cat, brave and with unbroken will, like a lioness protecting her cubs from harm.

"Take that picture along."

Damn. He hadn't meant to say it in such a commanding tone. The jaw of the 90-years old made a small clacking sound, as if she was about to say something but changed her mind. She looked at him with empty, unreadable eyesockets and made another giggling sound all of the sudden. Now that the swordsman was up again, she placed her empty hand on top of her hip and replied ever so lovingly:

"If you are going to carry it, Sanji-san."

With a fluid motion she turned around, her long dress playing along her legs as it followed her movement. As quiet and phantomlike as she had entered the room, she left again, the reindeer still in her arms.


End file.
